VIJAYAWADA: As part of a fact-finding mission on river interlinking projects, the Andhra Pradesh Farmers’ Service Committee, led by president Akkineni Bhavani Prasad, inspected the proposed site for the Bollapalli Reservoir on October 6. Members Srinivas, Narendra, and irrigation analyst T Lakshminarayana accompanied him.
The committee reviewed the government’s plan to build a reservoir with a capacity of 175–200 TMC to utilise surplus Godavari floodwaters and termed it a suitable initiative. The proposed site in Bollapalli mandal, however, is expected to submerge 13 villages, including Mellavagu, Garikapadu, Gummanampadu, and Ayyannapalem.
The team examined the terrain, which features hills, fertile farmland, the Naguleru stream, and a private cement factory. A kilometre-long valley between the hills was identified as ideal for a balancing reservoir. They stressed that a comprehensive R&R package under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, must be ensured for affected families.
The committee also visited the Bogguvagu Reservoir on the Nagarjunasagar Right Canal, which currently holds only 3.5 TMC due to siltation. They suggested that its capacity could be doubled at minimal cost.